On The Brink
by Say When
Summary: "I was supposed to be her guardian. I was supposed to protect her, but I didn't. I couldn't..." What if Victor had gotten away? Except this time, he has Lissa and Rose can't save her, not with Victor withholding the information needed. How can she fix it?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, this is Say When and Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble. This is our fanfiction collaberation, and will be posted on both of our accounts. We hope that you like and review. :)**

**Disclaimer: Small exceprt from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. We do not own, so please do not sue us. Thank you and have a nice day. :P**

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I took my pillow and put it over my face. _Stupid alarm clock_, I thought. I reached over and hit the snooze button with enough force to knock someone out and tried to get comfortable again.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

This time I actually looked over at the time and realized that I only had five minutes to get to practice with my badass mentor, Dimitri. I got up and threw on the first pair of sweatpants and t-shirt that I could find. I ran over to the bathroom to brush my teeth, not bothering to do anything with the rat's nest on top of my head.

I sprinted out of the dorm, making my way towards the gym where I knew Dimitri would be waiting. Of course the thought of Dimitri made my heart rate increase, and it had nothing to do with the run across campus. I just pictured him standing there, his lean, sculpted body resting against the wall. His endless eyes staring at the clock, willing me to make it to practice on time for once.

I burst in through the gym door and looked at the clock.

"Yes!" I was thirty seconds early to practice.

"Before you start doing a victory dance, you should know that that clock is two minutes slow," said the voice I would know anywhere. I looked around to find Dimitri in the exact position I had pictured him in, but my imagination didn't do him justice. He looked ten times better in person.

"But that means I was one minute and thirty seconds late, which is still a record," I said pointing a finger at him.

Dimitri raised a finger toward the track and merely said, "Go do your laps."

"You know you want to come with me, Comrade," I replied. A smile was growing on my face as I walked to the door.

"No." Dimitri answered stiffly.

"Fine."

The cold wind blew the stray strands of hair out of my face. I got out to the track and started thinking about my nonexistent love life. There was no doubt in my mind that I cared about Dimitri, but we hadn't really discussed our relationship. Everything had been pushed aside. All focus was on finding Lissa. _Lissa, _I sighed internally.

**(Flashback)**

He must have seen the decision in my eyes. Smiling, he slid his hands behind my neck and unfastened Victor's necklace. He set it on the bedside table. As soon as the chain left his fingers, I felt like I had been slapped in the face. I blinked in surprise. **(Please see disclaimer regarding this except.)**

_From there everything seemed to be a blur. Getting dressed in my skimpy dress. Taking one last look at Dimitri's chest. Walking over to Kirova's office. The guardians sat around deliberating the plan of action. _

"_Can we please hurry up and do something! I can feel her getting farther and father away!" I said to the person closest to me._

"_We're doing the best we can."_

"_Well, obviously your best isn't good enough because we're still here!"_

"_Roza, please calm down. We'll get her back. I promise." Dimitri's smooth voice cut into my argument with another guardian. His clear brown eyes showed the concern I was looking for. He understood. _

**(End of flashback)**

That was one month ago. One long month ago. Thirty grueling days of not knowing where my best friend was, thanks to Victor's working around the bond. He blindfolded Lissa every time they moved to a different location. So far, I hadn't been able to gather any other information about where they were. Pain shocked through my whole entire body. My chest tightened, and a lump formed in my throat. I fell to my hands and knees as tears leaked out of my eyes in the middle of the track. The guilt that I felt was overwhelming. I was supposed to be her guardian. I was supposed to protect her, but I didn't. I couldn't. A sob escaped from my mouth. I missed my best friend, and I had no idea where the heck she was. I fell completely to the ground once my arms couldn't hold me up anymore. I slipped into a fetal position trying to keep myself together and be strong. If not for Lissa, for me.

**Well, we hope you liked it, and reviews are very much appreciated. Next chapter should be up soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't know how long I lied there. To be completely honest, I wasn't aware of the outside world at all. Just me and my pain. It was only when I smelled the familiar aftershave did I realize that I wasn't alone. Dimitri pulled me up to a sitting position with my head on his chest. Occasionally, he would murmur soothing words in Russian.

_Suddenly, it was like the hurt I sat wallowing in evaporated just a little bit. His touch took away some of the pain. Not all of it, I noted with a grimace as a sharp pang shot through my chest, reminding me again of Lissa, somewhere all alone where I couldn't help her... But he could save me from some of it. He could keep the pain at bay, and keep me from drowning._

_Something caught in my throat, making me choke on my sobs._

_"Dimitri." I managed shakily._

_"Shh..."_

_I was quiet for a second, the tears subsiding as the urge to speak pushed at me again. As much as I loved this feeling of safety and warmth in his arms. It would be too easy to lean in. It would be too easy to get lost in the sensation of his breath on my face. But that's not the way things work, not with us at least it didn't._

_I took a deep breath to get my mind straight, to find the right words to say. This was too important. Before I could get anything out he gave me that serious look._"What is it, Roza?" he asked urgently.

I shook my head and looked down at the cold ground. In my peripheral vision I could see the last streaks of pink leaving the sky, marking the beginning of our vampiric day. If I wanted to get this done, I better hurry up before our practice session was over. With all the courage I could muster up, I looked back up at Dimitri one more time.

"I can't do this anymore," I muttered.

He squinted at me. "Do what?"

"This!" My voice may or may not have risen an octave or two. I wasn't sure. "This!"

"What are you talking about?" Dimitri demanded as the shrill whistle of the first bell cut though the frigid air. "We'll discuss this later, Rose."

Without a word, or a glance, I walked away from my mentor.

**Hello! This is Say When and Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble. This took us like five months to update, but we hope you liked it. To avoid confusion (because we were confuzzled) this story is only posted on this account. **

**Reviews make us happier than a BIRD with a FRENCH FRY! DID YOU HEAR THAT PEOPLE? BIRDS WITH FRENCH FRIES! (we're totally goofing on our history teacher right here. =P)**


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